Two words can sum up the Week 12 matchup between the visiting San Francisco 49ers and the host Green Bay Packers: utter domination.
The Packers cruised to a 38-10 victory, marking the franchise's largest win against the 49ers ever, including the postseason. They forced three turnovers -- a co-league-leading seventh interception by safety Xavier McKinney and two fumble recoveries -- one on a strip-sack and the other at the end of a Christian McCaffrey catch-and-run. Green Bay possessed the football by nearly double the amount of time (36:43 to 23:17). San Francisco very much looked like a team missing starting quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder) and 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher Nick Bosa (hip/oblique).
Green Bay's backfield of quarterback Jordan Love and running back Josh Jacobs took turns cooking the San Francisco defense. Love racked up 163 yards and two touchdowns -- an 11-yarder to tight end Tucker Kraft and a three-yarder to wide receiver Malik Heath -- on 13 of 23 passing, while Jacobs rumbled for 106 yards and three touchdowns (all from one yard out) on 26 carries. He is the first Packers player with 100-plus rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in a game since Ryan Grant in the 2007 NFC Divisional Round vs. the Seattle Seahawks. Jacobs is also the first 100-yard rusher against the 49ers in the last 55 games, the first since then-Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields in 2021. The 2022 NFL rushing champion is the first player with at least 100 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns against the 49ers since then-Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl running back Devonta Freeman.
Recently acquired kicker Brandon McManus also drilled his longest field goal as a Packer, a 51-yarder, in between Love's and Jacobs' first touchdowns on the team's first and third drives of the game, respectively.
San Francisco struggled against the Packers, but it also beat itself. The 49ers committed nine penalties for 77 yards, including a holding penalty on the opening kickoff of the second half that negated a Deebo Samuel return that went all the way down to the Packers 8-yard line. Backup quarterback Brandon Allen struggled to find his footing, throwing for 199 yards, a touchdown on a three-yarder to tight end George Kittle, an interception and a lost fumble on 17 of 29 passing. McCaffrey stumbled to 31 rushing yards on 11 carries while also adding 37 receiving yards on three catches. Kittle was the 49ers' lone bright spot, catching all six of his targets for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Green Bay didn't play with its food. Playing a depleted 49ers, all the Packers had to do was play efficient, clean football, and that's exactly what they did. They entered Week 12 with a 48.7% red zone touchdown percentage, the sixth-worst in the NFL. On Sunday, the Packers were perfect, turning all five of their red zone drives into touchdowns. Love snapping his eight-game interception streak and Green Bay winning the turnover battle 3-0 also played a major role.
They lacked critical firepower on both sides of the ball. San Francisco also committed multiple ill-timed penalties over and over again (nine for 77 yards). They had consecutive 12-men-on-the-field infractions and a number of key holding calls that erased big runs and returns. The 49ers' key playmakers who were out there outside of Kittle, McCaffrey and Samuel also came up small when their team desperately needed them to ball out.
On a 49ers third-and-8, Packers safety Xavier McKinney made the game-sealing play. San Francisco was driving and still within 10 points in the third quarter when quarterback Brandon Allen's throw to Deebo Samuel over the middle was high. It bounced off Samuel's finger tips, and McKinney was lurking behind the play in coverage and corralled the football. He then ran it back 48 yards, all the way down to the San Francisco 26-yard line. The Packers took over just outside the red zone up 10 with six minutes left in the third quarter. Four plays later, Jacobs was in the end zone for his second touchdown of the day. Regaining that 17-point lead at that point felt like a kiss of death for San Francisco, and it was.
The Packers (8-3), winners in six of their past seven games, will remain in Green Bay to host the 5-6 Miami Dolphins, winners of three in a row, on Thanksgiving Night in Week 13. The 49ers (5-6) will head east to face the 9-2 Buffalo Bills on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 13.
Green Bay is in total control and cemented their victory with a four-and-out. Green Bay backup quarterback Malik Willis is now in the game for the final 3:19 up 28 points, 38-10.
Green Bay puts the cherry on top of their victory Sunday with quarterback Jordan Love hitting wide receiver Malik Heath for a three-yard touchdown on a goal line fade. The score puts the Packers up 28 points, 38-10, with 4:14 left to play.
The reigning NFL offensive player of the year lost a fumble at the end of a 23-yard gain, and Packers defensive lineman Karl Brooks, who secured the game-winning field goal block, recovered the fumble for Green Bay's third takeaway of the day.
Josh Jacobs is the first Packers player with 100-plus rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in a game since running back Ryan Grant in the 2007 NFC Divisional Round vs. the Seattle Seahawks.
Packers with 100+ Rush YDS, 3+ Rush TD in a game
Super Bowl Era, Since 1966
Sunday Josh Jacobs
2019 Aaron Jones
1999 Dorsey Levens
1988 Brent Fullwood
1978 Terdell Middleton
1975 John Brockington
Jacobs has been a wrecking ball to the 49ers and their playoff hopes. He muscled his third rushing touchdown from one yard out into the end zone to give the Packers a 21-point lead (31-10), their largest of the day, with 10:59 left to play.
Packers 2023 first-round pick edge rusher Lukas Van Ness strip-sacked Brandon Allen, and Green Bay defensive tackle Kenny Clark recovered the loose football. Green Bay starts their next drive in the red zone on the 49ers 16. They lead 24-10 with 12:30 left to play.
Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love couldn't find anyone and takes a sack on third-and-4. The Packers hit a 51-yard punt down to the 49ers 10 where it is fair caught. Green Bay leads 24-10 with 12:37 left to play.
His first run back into the game goes for five yards, and he is up to 105 yards and counting on 24 carries.
The 49ers suffered their third three-and-out of the day after incompletions sandwiched a Christian McCaffrey run that went backwards for a loss of one. Green Bay starts their next drive on their own 47 up 14, 24-10, at the start of the fourth quarter.
Green Bay backup running back Chris Brooks getting called for a tripping penalty on a six-yard run by Emmanuel Wilson ruins the Packers drive. Following Green Bay's three-and-out, San Francisco will take over at their own 21 down 14, 24-10, with 41 seconds left to play.
Eric Saubert, the 49ers tight end, slipped on a third-and-7 throw from quarterback Brandon Allen, which resulted in an incomplete pass. San Francisco kicker Jake Moody drilled a 48-yarder to trim the Green Bay lead down to two scores, 24-10, with 2:12 left in the third quarter.
Jacobs has his second one-yard touchdown run of the day after the pass interference call on Love's deep ball to Romeo Doubs. The Packers lead is back up to 17, 24-7, with 4:28 left in the third quarter.
Doubs was helped off the field after his head hit the ground hard.
On a 49ers third-and-8, Packers safety Xavier McKinney was ready to take the football away. San Francisco quarterback Brandon Allen's throw to Deebo Samuel over the middle was high, so it bounced off of Samuel's finger tips. McKinney was lurking behind the play in coverage and corralled the football. He then ran it back 48 yards, all the way down to the San Francisco 26. Packers take over just outside the red zone up 10, 17-7, with six minutes left in the third quarter.
The Packers didn't net any yards on their first drive of the second half. Josh Jacobs picked up three on first down, but an incompletion on second down and a three-yard sack of Jordan Love by 49ers edge rusher Leonard Floyd killed the possession. San Francisco will begin their next drive at their own 10 down 10, 17-7 with 9:19 left to play.
San Francisco rolled the dice and decided to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the Packers 39 on the opening drive of the second half. Packers safety Xavier McKinney picked up 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey in coverage, and knocked the football away to force a turnover on downs. Jordan Love and Co. take possession on their own 40 up 17-7 with 10:47 left in the third quarter.
Samuel's 87-yard kickoff return down to the Green Bay eight gets nullified by a holding penalty by tight end Eric Saubert. Huge swing since it appeared as though San Francisco was on the cusp of trimming the Packers lead down to three, 17-14. Instead, they begin their first drive of the half at their own 21.
Three drives, three scores for Green Bay. Josh Jacobs rumbles into the end zone from a yard out to push the Packers lead up to three scores, 17-0, with 6:33 left in the half.
Green Bay ran 21 plays to San Francisco's three in the opening quarter, a primary factor in the Packers 10-0 lead.
The Packers are seemingly moving the football with ease against the 49ers injury-plagued defense. Two drives and 10 points for the home team following new kicker Brandon McManus' 51-yard field goal, his Packers career-long. They lead 10-0 with 11 seconds left in the first quarter.
Packers put together a long drive to start the game and punch it in on a TD pass from Jordan Love to Tucker Kraft. 12 plays, 67 yards, 7 1/2 minutes.
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson went off for a career-high 150 receiving yards in Green Bay's 20-19 Week 11 road win over the Chicago Bears last week. He could be on his way to becoming a lot more consistent of a producer for the Packers now that he has been healthy.
Green Bay's defense totaled 19 takeaways in the first 11 weeks of the season, tied for the third-most in the in the NFL this season. However, they only have two in their last four games after racking up 17 in their first six games.
Packers running back Josh Jacobs, the 2022 NFL rushing champion, is on fire with three consecutive of games of 100 or more scrimmage yards. His 838 rushing yards began Week 12 as the third-most in the NFL, and his 1,024 scrimmage yards entered the week as the eighth-most in the NFL. Jacobs is the first Packer with 1,000 or more scrimmage yards in the first 10 games of a season since running back Ahman Green back in 2004.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love is also the first quarterback since 2019 Jameis Winston, who became the only player in NFL history with both at least 30 passing touchdowns (33) and at least 30 interceptions (30) in a single season with 16 or more passing touchdowns (16) and 11 or more interceptions (11) in his first eight games of a season.
Jordan Love This Season
NFL Rank
Comp pct 62.3% 30th
Pass Yards/Att 8.1 7th
Pass TD 16 9th
INT 11 T-Last <<
>> Geno Smith & Patrick Mahomes
Suffering an MCL sprain and a groin strain early in the 2024 season has resulted in inefficient play from Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love: his 11 interceptions this season were tied for the most in the NFL along with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith entering Week 12. He's thrown an interception in all eight games this season, which is tied for the fourth-longest single-season streak by a Packers quarterback since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, per CBS Sports Research.
San Francisco 49ers hybrid weapon Deebo Samuel is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry this season after averaging 6.3 yards per carry in his first five seasons. He is also averaging just 5.5 yards per catch on screen passes after averaging 10.6 yards per catch on screens in his first five seasons. Only two of his 27 carries this season have gone for a first down or touchdown, the second lowest rate in the entire NFL (7.4%), minimum 25 carries, behind only Raiders running back Zamir White (6.2%). Samuel's first down/touchdown rate was 35.1% in 2023.
San Francisco 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey has 100 or more scrimmage yards in both of his games played this season, but they are also his first two games in a row without a touchdown within a season since 2022. His 3.7 yards per carry this season is a far cry from his 5.4 average in 2023. McCaffrey is also averaging the third-lowest tackle avoided rate (6%) on carries, minimum 20 carries, the last two weeks.
